There exist a multiplicity of systems for drying hands after washing, the main systems being as follows:                hot air hand drying machines, which require relatively strong heating elements and take a substantially long time to dry the hands;        devices for dispensing precut paper towels or a piece of towel from a roll, which the user pulls and cuts to the length of his or her desire. This device necessitates the installment of a wastebasket for the frequent collection and eventual disposal of the used towels. Constant attendance to the cleanliness and replacement of towels in the device is required;        hand drying apparatus based on an endless towel web, forming a closed loop, which is manually actuated by the user, in order to present a length of a towel not previously used. Upon the exhaustion of the towel length, the used towel has to be replaced with a fresh one. The used towel is transported to a laundry for cleaning purposes. More sophisticated apparatus are equipped with an infrared eye for detecting the presence of a user and actuating a motor for rolling up the used length of a towel and presenting to the user a clean, unused length thereof.        
Automatic towel dispensers containing towel washing and drying capabilities are also known, e.g., from U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,104,814, 4,297,859 and 4,350,028. These U.S. Patents disclose towel dispensers based on an endless towel web forming a closed loop, on a tank containing cleaning liquid having no inlets and outlets and on a unidirectional movement of the towel. Such dispensers are not effective due to unsatisfactory cleaning and drying processes, the relative large volume which they occupy, their being cumbersome, and other inherent shortcomings.